Bernard’s career day leads Tar Heels past Hokies

Published: Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 08:06 PM.

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard wanted to prove himself against a top-level defense, without disrespecting teams he’s already torched this season.

He seized his opportunity Saturday afternoon against Virginia Tech at Kenan Stadium.

Bernard rushed for 262 yards – the most ever against Virginia Tech – on 23 carries and led North Carolina to a 48-34 victory.

The sophomore running back busted past his career high of 165 rushing yards – set last season against Duke. He entered the game with 213 rushing yards this season, missing games at Wake Forest and Louisville – the only Tar Heels’ defeats.

Bernard wouldn’t quite call his effort a personal statement game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a statement game, but it’s just to show everybody that I can do what I know I can do,” Bernard said. “We came out there and we knew what we had to do.”

But when asked if it was a statement game for North Carolina (4-2 overall, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), Bernard’s answer was almost as swift as some of his cuts.

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard wanted to prove himself against a top-level defense, without disrespecting teams he’s already torched this season.

He seized his opportunity Saturday afternoon against Virginia Tech at Kenan Stadium.

Bernard rushed for 262 yards – the most ever against Virginia Tech – on 23 carries and led North Carolina to a 48-34 victory.

The sophomore running back busted past his career high of 165 rushing yards – set last season against Duke. He entered the game with 213 rushing yards this season, missing games at Wake Forest and Louisville – the only Tar Heels’ defeats.

Bernard wouldn’t quite call his effort a personal statement game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a statement game, but it’s just to show everybody that I can do what I know I can do,” Bernard said. “We came out there and we knew what we had to do.”

But when asked if it was a statement game for North Carolina (4-2 overall, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), Bernard’s answer was almost as swift as some of his cuts.

“(For the team) it’s definitely a statement game,” Bernard said. “For a great team like Virginia Tech – people are probably going to say they’ve been having an off-year or whatnot. For us, it doesn’t matter.”

Bernard finished the first quarter with three carries for a loss of three yards. At one point during the game, he strung together a sequence of 11 carries for more than 200 yards.

His effort, combined with A.J. Blue’s eight carries for 57 yards and two touchdowns, accounted for most of North Carolina’s 339 rushing yards. It’s the most for the Tar Heels since 2004.

The running game’s effectiveness was made possible because of the effort by the Tar Heels’ offensive line, which opened such gaping holes that allowed 11 rushes of 10 yards or more, 10 of which were by Bernard.

“For all the running backs to be able to do what they do, it’s exciting,” senior offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper said. “Our (offensive line coach Blake Anderson) came in with the biggest smile on his face, never would give me a hug, he gave me a hug. That’s enough for me.”

Cooper and the rest of the offensive line helped author perhaps the game’s major turning point, when North Carolina faced a fourth-and-inches from its own 38-yard line in a tied game to start the second quarter.

Coach Larry Fedora initially made the decision to punt, but thanks to some convincing from his offensive line, the Tar Heels sprinted out of a huddle and caught the Hokies (3-3, 1-1) off guard.

The result of the gamble came 7 seconds and 62 yards later, when Bernard went off left-tackle and cruised, untouched, into the end zone.

“The offensive line, they were cranking on me, ‘Let’s go for it, let’s run it.’ I was mad because we didn’t get it on third down,” Fedora said. “I said (to Bernard), ‘Look, you’ve got to get more than six inches here.’ He was just like, ‘Oh, I’ll get more than that.’ ”

Cooper said: “He listened to us, and I’m glad he did.”

North Carolina added another touchdown later in the quarter when Blue found the end zone from one yard away, and a pair of Virginia Tech field goals made it a 28-20 Tar Heels lead at halftime.

North Carolina went backward on the first possession of the game, with three incomplete passes and three false starts – two by tight end Eric Ebron on fourth down. Virginia Tech opened with an eye-opening four-play, 57-yard drive capped by a 13-yard bulldozing touchdown run by Thomas.

Then the Tar Heels reversed a decades-long trend of “Beamer Ball.”

Sean Tapley returned the kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, bursting down the home sideline and igniting what was a subdued crowd.

“That ignites your team,” Fedora said. “Our guys, they expect to make plays in the kicking game now.”

It was the first touchdown on a kick return Virginia Tech allowed since a 1993 game against Syracuse – a span of 237 games, which was the longest streak in the FBS.

Virginia Tech returned the favor in the third quarter, after Renner threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tapley for his only touchdown pass of the day.

The Hokies responded with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Demitri Knowles, cutting North Carolina’s lead to 35-26 midway through the third quarter.

But North Carolina staved off any other momentum Virginia Tech tried to build throughout the second half, doing just enough to unsettle Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas.

“There were some times where (the defense) didn’t get to (Thomas) and it seemed like he sat back there,” Fedora said. “But I thought the guys did a nice job getting to him when they did.”

Extra-points …:North Carolina continuously shot itself in the foot with penalties, committing 15 miscues for 126 yards. It was one penalty away from tying the school record. … Thomas finished with a career-high 354 passing yards. … Tapley’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the first of the sophomore’s career. … Tapley has four touchdowns in the last three games. … Renner, a junior, moved into fourth all-time in North Carolina history in passing yards (4,516) and completions (361). … True freshman Quinshad Davis led North Carolina with five receptions and 65 yards.